Freeland Walleye Festival canceled

Dan Chalk, chalk@mdn.net

Published
3:54 pm EDT, Friday, March 20, 2020

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Freeland Lions Club President Nathan Neuenfeldt said it was a very difficult decision for the club to cancel the 35th annual Freeland Walleye Festival, which to his knowledge marks the first time that it's ever been canceled.

The club announced the cancelation, due to the coronavirus, in a letter at freelandwalleyefestival.com on Wednesday. It was scheduled for April 23-26, the final weekend of April, as it is every year.

"It's a real bummer for everybody, you know," Neuenfeldt said. "A lot of people put a lot of time and work into this. so it's a shame to have to cancel it. But it's probably the best practice."

The festival brings thousands of people to the Freeland area every spring and encompasses much more than its namesake fishing competition.

The event is also known for the concurrent rummage sales in the area, a parade, a carnival with rides, a car show, a fish fry, disc golf, a pancake breakfast and more.

"Much like you, The Freeland Lions Club has been continually monitoring the impact of COVID-19 (Coronavisu), not only here in the Saginaw Valley and across the great State of Michigan, but also across the country and throughout the world," the letter on the website reads. "We as a Freeland Walleye Festival Planning Committee have had many meetings to try to reach a decision as to what is best for the Freeland Community during this difficult time. In the end however, our mission to serve and protect the health and safety of the Freeland Community simply outweighed everything else."

Next year's Walleye Festival is scheduled for April 22-25, 2021.

"The Freeland Walleye Festival will be back next year bigger and better than ever!" the letter said.

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The letter also indicated that everyone who has registered and paid for events and/or ads in the Walleye Festival flyer will receive a full refund in the next couple of weeks.

The gun raffle that is part of the festival will continue, the letter said. The drawing will be held on Sunday, April 26 and will follow the best practices provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tickets are available from any Lions Club member and at Isabella Bank and Buck Insurance Agency locally.

And the Lions Club food drop, in cooperation with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, scheduled for March 28 is still on, the letter announced. There will be a limit of two households per vehicle for those attending.

In addition to the Walleye Festival, the Lions Club's annual Easter Egg Hunt has also been canceled.